Office and Facilities Manager

HIGH COUNTRY NEWS

OFFICE AND FACILITIES MANAGER

High Country News, an award-winning media organization covering the communities and environment of the Western United States, seeks an Office and Facilities Manager to join our business administration team during an exciting chapter of innovation and growth. High Country News is part of a growing number of news organizations addressing a historic lack of representation, inclusion, and equity in journalism overall with effective solutions.

HCN’s business headquarters is based in Paonia, Colorado, but 67% of HCN’s staff is supported to work from a remote location, spread across 10 different states. This position takes primary responsibility to support and maintain High Country News’ (HCN’s) buildings, offices and assets in Paonia, acting as a central point-of-contact for a local staff of around 12 employees, and overseeing contracts and providers for services. This individual will also provide administrative, human resource (HR) and technological support to remote workers.

Working under the general guidance of the Director of Business Administration, this position exercises budgetary controls and sets policies for best working practices. The Office and Facilities Manager is an integral part of the management team, able to strategically plan for the future resource needs of a growing and changing organization.

Duties will include:

• Office Management – ensures the smooth running of the Paonia office functions on a day to day basis; assists with writing and implementing policies; takes responsibility for document control and retention practices; ensures employees are provided with the right equipment; assists with planning and coordination of local office  events and site visits
• Human Resources – provides support for HR functions including onboarding and orientation of employees, exit processes; communicating policies and procedures and helping staff with day to day matters
• Technological Infrastructure  – oversees contracted services for IT support; ensures all employees have access to the systems and software they need to perform their roles effectively; maintains the asset management system; implements and maintains organization wide procedures for data security and back-up; mitigates risk through effective policies and practices; acts as a point of contact for staff 
• Buildings and Facilities Management – directs, coordinates and plans essential services; oversees contracts and deliverables from third-party suppliers for maintenance, renovations and projects; ensures that buildings, grounds and working practices meet health and safety requirements; manages office space and allocation 

Skills and experience:

The ideal candidate has confident leadership skills and the ability to ‘make things happen’. They are highly comfortable implementing new processes, working practices or technology to enhance systems and ensuring user compliance.  We’re looking for a highly collaborative individual, able to build trust and effective relationships with external contractors and suppliers as well as managers and staff. They will strive for continuous improvement and will have access to ongoing development and training opportunities relevant to the role. 

The position holder will have strong organization and project management skills and be able to effectively prioritize workflows based on business critical need. Carrying out research, interpreting legal and regulatory guides, and writing clear and concise policy and workflow documents is an integral part of the role. Proficiency in Microsoft Office and G-Suite, and a working knowledge of supporting varied business software platforms is an advantage.

Excellent communication ability and cultural competencies is an essential requirement for interacting with a diverse staff and reader community. Candidates must possess a strong desire to support the organization’s mission and values, and foster an environment that upholds HCN’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in working practices and company culture. We welcome applicants from all life experiences and encourage members of traditionally underrepresented backgrounds to apply, including people of color, women, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ people.   

High Country News is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion among our staff, volunteers, programs, and partners. HCN is committed to equal employment opportunities and prohibits the unlawful discrimination against applicants or employees based on race, color, national origin, ancestry, creed, religion, sex, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.

Compensation and general terms:

This is a full-time position with medical, dental and vision healthcare benefits; paid vacation leave starting at 12 days a year plus 9 paid HCN holiday days each year; paid sick and family leave benefits; and a salary in the region of $57,500 annual equivalent. The position is based at HCN’s offices in Paonia and requires daily on-site attendance.

To apply, please send a résumé and cover letter to [email protected] with “HCN Office and Facilities Manager” in the subject line. The closing date for applications is March 31st, 2021.

Mission and values:

Our mission is to inform and inspire people to act on behalf of the West’s diverse natural and human communities.

To be members of the High Country News team means to act with integrity, compassion – and passion.  Everything we do at HCN requires hard work and dedication; a curious, skeptical but open mind; a willingness to listen and work with unlikely partners; a commitment to accountability, both from ourselves and from outside our organization; and above all, courage – the courage to be uncomfortable, to embrace change and to stand up for our values. In our work and in our organization, the story is never finished.